Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-06-17
at ashin9tun Stanlara
THEH0UsE ON THE MARSH;
THE MYSTERY OF THE ALDERS.
BIZ FLORENCE WARDEN.
CHAPTE Err II.

listening to his bright small talk with
the polite strangers smile. when dis
covered. without having heard any
sound, that Mrs. Rayner was in the
room. She had glided in like ghost.
and was standing at the table. waiting.
] was thankful to see that there was no
trace of the steadfast, eager gaze which
had disconnected me on the night be-
fore, nothing but the limpest indiffer-
ence to me in the way in which she
introduced me.
''She must have been pretty ten
years ago l thought, as l looked at
her thin face, with the fair faded COM
plexiOn and dull gray eyes. There was
a gentleness about her which would
have been grace still, if she had taken
any pains to set off by little wOmanly
coquetry her slim girl-like figure, small
thin hands, and the masses of long
brown hair which were earelessly and
unbecomingly dragged away from her
forehead and twisted upon her head.
Then the door opened, and the serv-
ants came in to prayers, with the elfish
baby and pretty delicate-looking
NHlius OiuC-CyCu WIN
was presented to me as Haidee, my
pupil.
Nobody talked during the meal but Mr.
Rayner, and the only other noticeable
thing was the improper behavior of the
baby, who aimed blow with q spoon
at her father when he passed her chair
to cut himself some cold meat. He
saw it and laughed at her.
1t is a most extraordinary thing,
Miss Christie said he; "but that
child hates me-"
l thought he spoke in fun; but, be-
fore l had been long at the Alders, l
found that it was true that this most
unpleasant baby's strongest feeling
was dislike of her father. She would
not even take sweets from his hand.
"Were you not surprised. Miss
Christie said Mr.. Rayner, during
breakfast, lat the wording of my al.
vertisement?'
"Yes, Mr.. Rayner."
my wife was afraid that it would
brighten off many desirable young
ladies by its ogreish abruptness. The
fact is, the lady who has just left us,
quite typical instructress of forty,
with prominent teeth and glasses
nearly frightened our lives out. She
wouldn't talk. and my wife wants 8
cheerful companion. Moreover, she
threatened to prosecute me for decoy.
ing her to so damp a place. So We
registered a solemn VOW that we would
have nothing to do with boar an
tiquity again"
How could she say anything
against such lovely placep'' said l.
Well. now. Miss Christie, l have
sometimes thought the place damp my
self; but my wife has got attached tc
it; haven't you, Lola?"
Yes" said she, without sign o.
feeling or interest.
:" And so we remain" he went on
"You must know, Miss Christie, that
l am penniless wretch, dependent on
my wife; am not, Lola?" He turned
playfully to her.
mot quite that" said she, gently
but with no more warmth than before
Practically l am" he persisted
She was an heiress, / ruined
spendthrift, when she married me
Yet she trusted me; and the only con
dition she would allow her friends t.
make was that l should settle in thu
country-out of reach of temptation
you see. Miss Christie
He spoke with some feeling, ant
looked affectionately at his wife; bu
she remained as impassive as ever.
l could not help feeling rather sorr!
for Mr.. Rayner. He was always kline
and attentive to his wife; but she wa,
always the same, limp, nerveless, apa
thetic, speaking when necessary in /.
low, soft voice, slowly, with man,
pauses. She had habit of letting thu
last words of a sentence die away upor
her lips, and then, after a few mo
ments, as if by an effort, she would SAY
them aloud. l soon grew quite afrait
of her, and, being anxious to shake of
this strange diflidence, offered to reat
to her when my short hours of stud,
with my pupil were over. She accept
ed my offer, and went into the draw
ing-room that very afternoon and real
several chapters in adam Bede."
stopped at the end of each chapte
waiting for some comment, but sh,
only said: Thank you." very gently
and. when asked if l should 20 on
xCSs II IL WILL HUI tlTC yOu.
Presently found out that she was no
listening, but that she was sitting will
her hands in her lap, while her eyes wer'
fixed on the garden outside, with deel
sadness in them which contrastel
strangely with her usual apathetic in
difference to all things. Still read on
until such a heavy despairing sigl
broke from her pale lips that I invol
unfairly stopped short in my reading
and raised my eyes, with tears In them
TO hers. She started and turned towars
me. A little color came to her cheeks
could see her breast heaving through
the muslin gown she wore; she hal
stretched out one hand toward me, ant
in another moment believe she wouls
have called me to her side, when
voice from behind her chair started u
both.
Mr.. Rayner had entered the room s.
softly that We had not heard him.
"You look tired, my dearest Lola,
said he, gently; ''you had better go AM
lie down for little WHILE"
At the sound of her husbands voic
Mrs. Rayner had shrunk back into he
usual statuesque self, like a sensitiv
plant touched by rough fingers.
timid1y offered to read her to sleep, bu
she declined, and took the arm her hus
band held out, and left the room wit
him.
After that, her reserve toward m
was greater than ever; she seemed re
luctant to accept the smallest service O
eommon courtesy at my hands. Iva
hurt as well as puzzled by this; and
being too young and timid to max
any further advances, the distance be
tween me and the silent sad lady grew
greater than ever.
An attempt that Mr.. Rayner made
few days after the above scene to draw
US together only sent us further apart
He came into the school-room just a
Haidee and were finishing the day
lessons, and dismissed her into the gar
den.
1.-The child is very like her mothe
in the face; don't you think SOP" salt
he. but am afraid she will neve
have her mothers strength of intellect
My wife does not give herself the air
of clever woman. But you woul,
not have doubted it if you had know
her five years ago."
He was in one of those moods O
o1,,, net ON, H. rra CO Gin ~ fro luo,, d,,r;,,